Consumer Cellular and Cricket Wireless both run on AT&T's nationwide network, both offer retail support, and both are established, reliable MVNOs ā but they target completely different users. The short version: 50 or older, Consumer Cellular's $35/month unlimited beats Cricket Supreme's $55 on pure price; under 50, Cricket wins on both price ($55 vs $65) and features (HBO Max, 50GB hotspot, priority data).
The plans, head to head
- Price, 50+: Consumer Cellular $35/mo vs Cricket Supreme $55/mo (no age discount).
- Price, 18ā49: Consumer Cellular $65/mo vs Cricket $55/mo.
- Data: Consumer Cellular 35GB high-speed then slowed, deprioritized; Cricket Supreme unlimited with priority.
- Hotspot: shared with data vs 50GB dedicated on Cricket.
- Extras: Cricket includes HBO Max (with ads) + 150GB cloud storage; Consumer Cellular bundles nothing.
- Mexico/Canada: pay-per-use vs unlimited roaming on Cricket.
- Trial: 30 days (45 with AARP) vs Cricket's 14-day return.
- Taxes & fees: extra ($3ā10/mo by state) vs included in Cricket's price.
- Customer service: Consumer Cellular is U.S.-based and J.D. Power top-rated; Cricket rates average.
| Consumer Cellular | Cricket Wireless | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited, age 50+ | $35/mo ($33.25 with AARP) | Supreme $55/mo ā no age pricing |
| Unlimited, age 18ā49 | $65/mo | Supreme $55/mo |
| Data | 35GB high speed then slowed, deprioritized | Unlimited with priority on Supreme |
| Hotspot | Shares the 35GB allotment | 50GB dedicated |
| Extras | None bundled | HBO Max with ads, 150GB cloud storage |
| Taxes and fees | Extra, $3ā$10/mo by state | Included |
| Trial or return | 30-day money-back, 45 days with AARP | 14-day return |
| Two lines, all 50+ | $25/line | ā |
| Four lines | Under-50 lines pay full $65 | Supreme drops to $32.50/line |
The five differences that decide it
- Age-based pricing ā the decisive factor. 50+ saves $240/year with Consumer Cellular; under-50 saves $120/year with Cricket. The threshold is rigidly verified.
- Priority vs deprioritized data ā Cricket Supreme keeps full speed during congestion; Consumer Cellular slows when AT&T is busy. Matters in dense metros at 5ā9 PM; barely matters in suburbs on Wi-Fi.
- Hotspot ā Cricket's 50GB is dedicated; Consumer Cellular's shares the 35GB allotment. Heavy tetherers should not pick Consumer Cellular.
- Included extras ā Cricket bundles HBO Max (~$10/mo value) and 150GB cloud storage; Consumer Cellular bundles nothing but discounts (AARP 5% ā $33.25/mo effective).
- Taxes ā Cricket's price is all-in; Consumer Cellular adds $3ā10/mo depending on state, which narrows the senior discount in high-tax states.
Multi-line math
All-50+ household: Consumer Cellular is extraordinary ā $25/line at 2 lines, $21.67/line at 3. Mixed-age family: Cricket wins, since under-50 lines pay Consumer Cellular's full $65 while Cricket Supreme drops to $32.50/line at 4 lines ā competitive even against Big Three postpaid.
Choose neither ifā¦
You want the cheapest AT&T-network plan regardless of age (Pure Talk, Red Pocket, H2O undercut both), you want multi-network flexibility (US Mobile switches among all three networks), or you want postpaid perks (AT&T Prepaid Unlimited at $65 or AT&T direct).
Every meaningful AT&T MVNO ranked ā coverage, priority, price, and who each one fits.
Best AT&T MVNOs ā
Jean Gilles has researched personal finance, consumer technology, and wireless pricing for over a decade. He founded ShopCellPlans in 2019 and writes every review on the site.
Frequently asked questions
Are they on the same network? +
Is Consumer Cellular only for seniors? +
Does either offer a free trial? +
What happens after 35GB on Consumer Cellular? +
One email when a carrier raises rates, drops a plan, or launches a deal worth switching for. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
